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We can’t succeed unless we hired the right person to do the job. And we fail when we make bad hires or let a seat go unfilled.
If you’re a manager or business leader and want to lead a successful team, you need to take steps today to ensure you have the right team members tomorrow. Here are three steps managers can do to make better hires.
#1 – Critically Examine the Job Description
I get it – no one likes writing job descriptions. One of the most common practices here is taking an old job description and updating to reflect the passage of time. Otherwise, we might draft a job description based on the last successful person in the role.
The problem is that neither of these approaches think critically about what we need for the position! We get caught up focusing on credentials like X years of experience, Y degree, Z certifications, etc. We forget that ultimately, the only thing that matters in 99% of positions is a candidate’s ability to deliver results. Furthermore, we forget that high performers often rely on different experiences and skills to deliver the same results.
For example, a manager might communicate remotely with their team through a lot of videos. You could say video skills are crucial for this position. However, someone else might communicate equally as effectively over the phone or by making an effort to communicate in person. We must think critically about what you really need for a given role!
#2 – Help the Recruiter Understand What Makes the Position a Great Opportunity
Sometimes we get so caught up in the job requirements and responsibilities that we forget to sell the position. It’s critical that we communicate why candidates should be interested in a position – especially given today’s competitive labor market. Even if we’re already receiving a lot of applications, we could be missing out on great candidates who aren’t seeing the appeal of the position or company.
Recruiters won’t know what makes this position unique unless you tell them. Think beyond pay and benefits. Consider the opportunities for professional growth and development offered by the role. How does this position make an impact on the organization and the world? How is it rewarding for the right individual? How can someone advance their career with this position?
#3 – Ask Recruiters to Help You Understand the labor market
Recruiters aren’t just professionals that find and engage with candidates. Recruiters should be experts on the talent market, current trends, and more in their niche. As a result, the best recruiters serve as consultants to managers and leaders.
They can help managers understand what they truly need from a given position as well as advise on a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, they can clarify what are reasonable expectations in terms of finding candidates in the current labor market.
Here at Qualigence, our recruiters even call on our in-house recruitment research team to gain in-depth insights on the talent market and perform competitive intelligence. This gives managers an idea of what talent they can expect to hire with a given compensation package and so forth.
No one should be asked to lower their expectations, but sometimes recruiters do need to tell managers that a particular skill set will be very hard to find. For example, look at the job market for programmers. Everywhere you turn there are job postings with qualifications that are literally impossible to fulfill (or close)!
Your recruiters should be experts in their field and make sure you put out job postings that build credibility with candidates, not embarrass the company.
Building Better Teams is a Team Effort!
If you’re a manager or business leader and you’re serious about building a great team, you need to be proactive in the recruiting process. 95% of business success starts with making the right hires. It’s about planning for tomorrow’s success, today.
